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In the year zero

Part 2 of Scott Snyder’s “Zero Year” just came out in Batman #22, and here are some things that you need to take from this issue.

Each member of the Red Hood Gang goes by a number. Red Hood One is the leader. I assume Red Hood Five is Luke Skywalker.

Weapons developed by Wayne Enterprises are being modified and used by the Red Hood Gang.

Alfred Pennyworth really thinks Bruce should rejoin the land of the living so that he can take over Wayne Enterprises, but wants Bruce to make that decision.

Philip Kane also thinks that Bruce should rejoin the living, and was a jerk about it.

Bruce ran into Edward Nygma, and they had a quick exchange involving a riddle.

Red Hood Gang found out where Bruce was staying, and blew it up when Bruce returned.

The weapons issue was discovered while Bruce was disguised as the Penguin on a blimp occupied by the Red Hood Gang. Personally, I think it’s a silly angle to take. It reminds me too much of Iron Man. The movie anyways, can’t speak for the comics. As you should know, in the movie, Tony Stark finds that his weapons are ending up in the hands of terrorists, and doesn’t want to develop weapons anymore. So, they develop…god only knows what and continue making loads of money. (Hmmm…I do wonder what Stark Industries does develop now.) But anyways, throwing weapons into the mix seems like a silly reason to get Bruce back involved with the company. It’s just unnecessary. Though, now that I think about it, I’m not sure what Wayne Enterprises develops to make money either.

Philip Kane pulled a really dick move. Bruce wanted to speak with Philip about the weapons. Philip tells Bruce where to go, and surprises him with a welcome back party. So now, Bruce doesn’t really have the option anymore. Pictures of him were taken, a reporter (Vicki Vale) was present. So, now the cat is out of the bag.* Personally, I like the move. I like adding this element of turmoil within the family. We never really think about the rest of Bruce’s family. Sure, his parents die, but what about any aunts and uncles? What about any grandparents? It’s also a nice touch that his uncle isn’t exactly excited about the return. Why would he be excited? He stands to lose control of the company.

Questions I still have:

Where do Nygma and Kane fit with the Red Hood Gang? I think it would be a good change if Nygma is Red Hood One. I don’t want to see this turn into a Joker origin story. That’s been done before. That’s old DC Universe. This is the New 52. It’s an opportunity to do something different, so do something different. If you’re going to just retell old stories, then why even bother?

Still, how the hell do we get to a post-apocalyptic Gotham City? I figure this one is going to take a while, but it still bugs me.

*The writers of Comicdom Wrecks! do not condone the putting of cats into bags.